How Effective Are Strikes Anyway?

#82: Last week, more than 60,000 workers and teachers in the nation's second largest school district went on strike.

It was led by SEIU Local 99 — members of the Service Employees International Union, representing about 30,000 essential workers in Los Angeles Unified. These are LAUSD's bus drivers, teachers’ aides, custodians food service workers and other school workers – and they're among the lowest paid workers in the district. The teacher's union joined in solidarity. 

On Friday, after three days of striking, LAUSD reached a tentative labor deal with the district effectively meeting the workers’ demands for a 30% increase in salary and healthcare benefits for part-time employees. SEIU 99 union members will be able to vote on the agreement in-person and online throughout next week. The voting results will be announced on Saturday, April 8. 

But it got us thinking, how effective are strikes anyway? What other tools do unions have to get their demands met? And how are they even organized?  

Guests: Joshua Grunland, choir and music production teacher at Manuel Arts High School; Jonathan Harris, associate professor at Loyola Law School; Diana Reddy, doctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley.

Shout out to LAist newsroom for assist with voice from the picket line!